Balloon launching at sea



March 19, 1963 n. A. CHURCH BALLOON LAUNCHING AT SEA 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 5, 1962 INVENTOR, Davz'dA. ('hurch March 19, 1963 o. A.CHURCH BALLOON LAUNCHING AT SEA 4 Shelets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1962 mMWNLN INVENTOR; fiavzdA. kurciL ATTORNEY March 19, 1963 D. A CHURCH I3,081,967

BALLOON LAUNCHING AT SEA Filed March 5, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR,

David/2A. Ukurah ATTORNEY D. A. CHURCH BALLOON LAUNCHING AT SEA March19, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 5, 1962 INVENTOR urah Davz'dAL7ZBY Z ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,081,967 BALLOON LAUNCHING AT SEADavid Andrew Church, Coon Rapids, Minn, assignor, by mesne assignments,to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of theNavy Filed Mar. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 177,683 Claims. (Cl. 244-31) theextended deflated balloon, which may be hundreds of feet in length. Fullsize aircraft carriers have been used for manned and unmanned upperatmospheric research balloon flights. Rocket-carrying balloons have beenlaunched from the helicopter decks of ice breakers, and LSDs which hadplanking installed over the well sections to provide the needed decklength.

The large amount of deck length required for such launchings makes themexpensive and has seriously limited the amount of sea-going balloonlaunching activity that can be economically engaged in.

The present invention makes possible the launching of balloons of anydesired deflated length from vessels of relatively moderate deck length,relying on the seat itself as a support for the extended deflatedballoon until inflation is suflicient to erect the entire balloon, andusing only the fantail for supporting equipment used in the inflationand launching procedure, the load train, and the launching crew.

The invention will be better understood on reference to the followingdescription and the accompanying more or less schematic drawing,wherein: p

l is a' top plan view of the fantail of a small operational craft,preparatory to the deployment of a reefed deflated balloon onto the sea.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1, portions of the handrailbeing omitted.

3 is a side elevational view, on a reduced scale, showing the balloonfully extended and substantially entirely supported by the sea.

[FIG 4 shows the deployed balloon with its lift gas receptacle partiallyinflated.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but with the lift gas receptacle erect andpart of the remainder of the balloon erected out of the sea.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 but with the inflation sufficiently advancedto erect the entire balloon.

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 but shows the reefing sleeve being removed.

FIG. 8 shows the unreefed erected balloon fully inflated preparatory toremoval of the inflation tube.

FIG. 9 shows the balloon, with load train attached, in flight.

FIG. 10 shows a modified balloon assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown (FIGS. 1and 2) the fantail 10 of a Navy patrol craft or other small operationalvessel 12. On the fantail deck 14 is secured a helium or other lift gassupply 16, a winch (the base for which is omitted) having a strong nylonor other'suitable line 22, and a pulley 2.4 under which the lineextends. The fantail handrail26 is opened for the purpose of theinvention at 23 between two stern stanchions 30 which, as well as theadjacent deck approach to the opening, are covered with polyethylwe orother suitable smooth limp film 32 to provide a snag-free guideway forthe balloon assembly in the process of deployment on the sea, as willappear.

3,081,967 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 At the balloon factory, the balloon 34is made part of an assembly 36 (FIG. 4) including a readily removableinflation tube 38 and a readily removable reefing sleeve 40. Theinflation tube 38 extends within the balloon 34 from a point 44 near thetop 46 of the balloon to a point just above the balloon base 48. Theballoon film near the base 48 is formed with a slit (not shown) throughwhich the tube 38 passes. The reefing sleeve 40 is wrapped about theballoon 34 from the base 48 to a point short of the inner end 44 of thetube 38 and constricts the balloon but not the tube, leaving exposed arelatively short ballon crown portion 52 which is to serve as areceptacle for lift gas and is large enough to provide a lift gas bubblecapable of erecting the balloon assembly 36 without restriction of thereceptacle. That is, there is an excess of unreefed film thereat so thatthe gas in the bubble will not unduly stress the film. The assembly 36is packed in conventional zig-zag array in a box or crate 54 with thebase 48 and balloon top 46 arranged for ready availability when the boxis opened.

The box 54, thus packed, is placed on the deck 14 near the handrailopening 28, and opened, and then a crew member carefully pulls the base48 out of the box, and tethers it to the winch line 22. Then hecarefully pulls the balloon top 46 out of the box 54 and through thehandrail opening 28, and, while the vessel 12 is moving on a steadycourse at a speed of about three knots, downwind if there is a wind,lowers the top gently into the sea 56 at the vessels stern 58.Successive parts of the balloon assembly 36 are handled and paid outlikewise until the assembly is fully extended and most of it is in thesea 56 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The assembly 36 is preferably paid out at a ratesubstantially equal to the vessels speed in order to avoid towing andconsequent drag stress on the loose unreefed delicate film of thereceptacle 52 and expedite extension of the assembly. As, from apractical viewpoint, it is diflicult to synchronize the paying out speedwith the vessels speed, the paying out speed is held at a rate slightlybelow that of the vessel. The vessels speed is preferably high enough topromote expeditious deployment of the balloon assembly 36, yet lowenough to minimize the stress on the receptacle film and to accornodatethe speed with which the crew is able to pay out the balloon assembly36.

The balloon 34, inflation tube 33, and reefing sleeve 40 are formed ofpolyethylene, Mylar, or other suitable inelastic thin limp material.Notwithstanding the fact that the balloon assembly 36 is then insubstantially deflated condition, it contains a substantial amount ofresidual air which renders highly buoyant the part of the assembly inthe water, even when, as is true of some balloons, there is included alight weight metal top fitting. The friction drag of the assembly 36 inthe water is due mainly to the loose unreefed film of the receptacle 52and the movement of the vessel 12, and causes the assembly to bedeployed in extended array in the vessels wake at the sea surface,

and, in about two minutes, more or less, depending on the vessels speedand the deflated extended length of the balloon 34, the paying out andthe deployment are complete.

With the vessel 12 continuing at substantially the same low speed, theinflation tubes outer end 60 (FIG. 4), being over the deck 14, is nowconnected to the helium supply hose '62, the helium supply valve 64 isopened, and inflation is begun. As inflation progresses, the gasreceptacle 52 gradually lifts out of the water (FIG. 4), and thus thedrag oflered by the receptacle is progressively reduced. I

The unreefed portion 52 is of a size to accommodate slightly more thanthe volume of lift gas necessary to raise the entire balloon assembly 36out of the water, in order to provide some looseness to prevent the gasfrom unduly stressing the delicate balloon film.

Once the receptacle 52 is entirely lifted from the water, this source ofdrag no longer exists. Since then the only part of the assembly 36 stillin the water is reefed, and that part obviously offers relatively littledrag, and due to the fact that the inflated receptacle 52 then isbuffeted by the wind if, as is likely, the wind speed substantiallyexceeds the vessels speed, the vessel It) is rapidly accelerated to windspeed, so that, shortly after leaving the water, the receptacle is insubstantially a calm. Of course, in case the wind speed does notappreciably exceed the vessels speed, no acceleration is necessary. Theinflation continues without interruption, the added lift causing theunreefed portion 52 to rise further (FIG. 5), and within several minutesafter inception of inflation the entire balloon assembly 36 is out ofthe water (FIG. 6).

The inflation tube 38 is held in place by friction with the reefed innersurface of the balloon 34 and by the gas which is being forced throughthe tube to the receptacle 52.

Once the entire balloon assembly 36 is erect, a crew members slits andrips the reeling sleeve 40 and pulls it down off the balloon 34 (FIG. 7)and places it out of the way, without interruption of inflation. The gasbeing forced through the inflation tube 38 operates to maintain the tubeerect in the erected balloon 34 (FIG. 8) notwithstanding the absence ofthe reeling sleeve 40.

Inflation is terminated when the balloon 34 contains enough gas toimpart the free lift necessary to carry the balloon system 65,consisting of the balloon and a load train 66 (FIG. 9), at thepredetermined climb rate and to the predetermined ceiling altitude. Ifthe needed amount of inflation is predetermined, metering of the gas maybe resorted to. Or, reliance may be placed on other methods, such as theweigh-off method, wherein, before attachment of the load train 66, acompact mass, equal in weight to the weight of the load train plus thedesired free lift, is temporarily suspended from the base 48, the winch20 is reeled out to slack the line 22, and inflation terminated when themass is just lifted free; or a scale may be substituted for the mass,and inflation terminated when the scale shows the equivalent weightmeasurement.

On termination of inflation, the winch 29 is reeled in until the slackis out of its line 22; the weigh-off mass or scale, if any, isdisconnected from the base 43; the valve 64 is closed; the inflationtube 38 is pulled out of the balloon 34; the slit for the inflation tubeis taped closed; the load train 66 (consisting essentially of a collapseparachute 68 and a payload shown diagrammatically at 70) havingpreviously been assembled, a load line '72, passing through the usualelectrically fired load line cut ter 74 and connected to the top of theparachute, is attached to the base; the winch line is paid outcarefully, while the load train is held elevated from the deck 14 toprotect the load train from dragging along the deck, until the entireload train is airborne; and finally the winch line is severed, launchingthe balloon system 65.

The vessel 12 moves downwind substantially at wind speed from a timeshortly after the bubble 52 has risen from the water until the balloonsystem 64 is launched, so that throughout this period the balloon is ina calm, thus eliminating bufleting of the balloon before the system islaunched.

Where the rearmost stanchions 3!} of the fantail handrail are blocked bya depth charge ejector or other permanent installation, the handrailopening for the paying out of the deflated balloon assembly may be madebetween one of the stanchions 3t) and an adjacent stanchion 88, orbetween any other suitable available pair of stanchions.

It is thus apparent that, with the use of a small deck, such as that ofa powered or towed raft, or the fantail of a Navy patrol craft or othersmall operational vessel, a balloon of any desired length may beinflated and launched, inasmuch as the sea is employed to provide thesupport for the generally horizontally extended deflated length of theballoon. Thus the need for a long deck, such as that of an aircraftcarrier, is obviated, so

that the cost, number of personnel required, and difficulty with whichlarge balloons are inflated and launched at sea are reduced to an extentmaking unlimited sea-borne balloon inflations and launchingseconomically feasible.

If desired, the inflation tube, instead of extending into the lift gasreceptacle 52, may be made shorter, as shown at (FIG. 10), so that itsinner end 82 is substantially spaced from the receptacle, the reefedportion of the balloon 34 between the tube end and the receptacle thenserving as a conduit for the gas from the tube end to the receptacle.With this modification, taping 84 is applied to the base 48 to avertescape of gas from the base. The taping 84 is removed when the inflationis completed.

Many a balloon is closed at the bottom and provided with an outsideso-called duct appendix which extends from an upper part of the balloonto a lower part of the balloon, the top of the duct communicating withthe interior of the balloon and the bottom of the duct being adjacentthe balloon and open to the atmosphere. If such a balloon is to belaunched in accordance with the invention, the duct is Wrapped withinthe reefing sleeve 40 so that the duct will not offer any interferenceto the launching procedure.

While preferred means and methods have been described in some detail,they should be regarded as examples of the invention and not inrestriction or limitation thereof as changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of the parts and in the methods withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a method of launching at sea a Water-floatable high altitudeinelastic film balloon, the steps of (a) tethering the base of adeflated balloon adjacent the surface of the sea;

(b) fully extending the balloon with substantially the entire balloonfloating in the sea;

(c) inflating the top portion of the balloon with lift gas suflicient toerect the entire balloon and carry it aloft; and

(d) untethering the balloon.

2. In a method of launching at sea a water-floatable high altitudeinelastic film balloon, the steps of (a) fully extending a deflatedballoon with substantially the entire balloon floating in the sea;

(b) inflating the top portion, only, of the balloon with suflicient liftgas to erect the entire balloon;

(c) restraining the base of the erect balloon while further inflatingthe balloon with lift gas sufl'icient to carry the balloon, when loaded,aloft at a predetermined climb rate to a predetermined altitude;

(d) attaching the load to the base of the balloon; and

(e) removing the restraint.

3. In a method of launching at sea in a wind a waterfloatable highaltitude inelastic film balloon, the steps of (a) deploying insubstantially fully extended formation in the sea at the surface thereofa deflated balloon which is reefed except for a relatively short topportion of the balloon;

(b) inflating the unreefed portion with suflicient lift gas to raisesaid portion from the sea;

(0) on rise of said portion from the sea, towing the balloon downwindwith the balloon base at the downwind end of the balloon andaccelerating the balloon rapidly to wind speed;

(d) further inflating the unreefed portion with lift gas suflicient toerect the entire balloon;

(e) unreefing the erect balloon;

(f) restraining the base of the erect balloon and contemporaneouslyfurther inflating the balloon and terminating the inflation when theballoon has sufficient lift to climb, with a load, at a predeterminedrate to a predetermined ceiling altitude;

(g) attaching the load to the base; and

(h) removing the restraint.

4. In a method of launching at sea from a surface vessel awater-floatabfile inela of I (a) tethering to; the vessel-adjacent thestern thereof stic film balloon, the steps the 'base of aP-deflatedcompacted balloon which is reefed except for a relatively. short topportion of the balloon; 7

[(b) paying outinto the vessels wake successively the unreefed andreefed portions of the balloon;

('c) propelling the vessel forward on a substantially steady course at aspeed of'about a few knots until the balloon is fully extended;

(d) inflating theunreef ed portion with lift cient to erect'the entireballoon;

(e) unreefing the erect'b'alloon;

(f) further inflating the balloon and terminating inj flation whentheballoon has .suflicient free lift to car yt d pxedste m n j b t t a p 3determined climb rate to a predetermined ceiling altitude; and a H (g)untethering the balloon.

5.Iri a method of .launching-a water-floatable (high altitude inelasticfilm balloon from-a surface vessel, the steps of (a) tethering to thevessel adjacent the stern thereof the base of a deflated compactedballoon which is reefed except for a relatively short top portionthereof;

(b) propelling the vessel forward on a steady course,

downwind if there is a wind; V

(c) paying out into the vessels wake successively the unreefed andreefed portions at substantially the -vessels speed until the entireballoon is extended and substantially the entire balloon is in the sea;

(d) inflating the unreefed portion with lift gas suflicient to erect theentire balloon;

(e) unreefing the erect balloon;

(f) further inflating the balloon until it has sufficient free lift tocarry it and a predetermined load at a predetermined rate of climb to apredetermined ceiling altitude; and

(g) untethering the balloon.

6. In a method of launching a water-floatable high altitude inelasticfilm balloon from a surface vessel in a wind substantially exceedingabout three knots, the steps of (a) tethering to the vessel adjacent thestern thereof the base of a deflated balloon which is reefed except fora relatively short top portion thereof;

(b) propelling the vessel forward downwind at a speed of about threeknots;

(c) paying out at substantially the vessels speed into the vessels wakesuccessively the unreefed and reefed portions until the entire balloonis extended and substantially the entire balloon is in the sea;

(d) inflating the unreefed portion with lift gas sufficient to erectonly the unreefed portion;

(2) on erection of the unreefed portion, accelerating vessel downwindrapidly substantially to wind speed;

(f) further inflating the unreefed portion with lift gas suflicient toerect the entire balloon;

(g) unreefing the erect balloon;

(h) further inflating the balloon and terminating infiation when theballoon has suflicient free lift to carry it and a predetermined loadaloft at a predetermined climb rate to a predetermined ceiling altitude;and

i) untethering the balloon.

7. In a method of launching at sea a water-floatable high altitudeballoon, the steps of 6 the balloon and a load aloft at a predeterminedclimb rate to a predetermined ceiling altitude;

(d) attaching one end of an elongated load train to thebase of the erectballoon and supporting the train out of the sea;

(i=2)v paying out the tether until the load train is entirely suspendedin the air; and 7 (f) untethering the base. 1 8. In a method oflaunching a large water floatable 10 high altitude balloon at sea fromthe relatively small fantail deck of a Navy patrol craft or other smalloperational vessel, the steps of (a) placing on the deck near and aheadof the stern of the fantail handrail a deflated compacted balloon whichis reefed except for a relatively small portion at the top of theballoon and includes an inflation tube extending from outside theballoon base into the balloon to the unreefed portion;

(b) opening the stern portion of the handrail;

(c) tethering the base to the deck;

' (d) propelling the vessel forward ona steady course at a speed ofabout three knots, downwind if there is a wind;

(e) paying out through the opening and into the vessels wakesuccessively the unreefed and reefed portions of the balloon untilsubstantially all except the base floats in the sea;

(f) when the balloon is fully extended, inflating the unreefed portionwith lift gas sufficient to erect the unreefed portion;

(g) on erection of the unreefed portion, rapidly accelerating the vesselsubstantially to Wind speed, if the wind speed exceeds the aforesaidvessel speed;

(h) further inflating the unreefed portion sufficiently to erect theentire balloon;

'(i) unreefing the balloon;

(j) further inflating the balloon sufficiently to carry the balloon anda load train aloft at a predetermined climb rate to a predeterminedceiling altitude, and then terminating inflation;

(k) removing the inflation tube;

(1) attaching one end of the load train to the base;

(m) paying out the tether until the load train is entirely suspended;and

(n) untethering the base.

9. In a method of launching at sea from a moving vessel a high altitudeinelastic film balloon, the steps of tethering the base of a compactdeflated water-buoyant balloon to a stern portion of a sea surfacevessel; propelling the vessel at a speed of about three knots downwindif there is a wind;

lowering the top end of the balloon into the vessels wake;

and paying out succeeding portions of the deflated balloon into thevessels wake at a rate substantially equal to but not exceeding thevessel speed until the entire length of the deflated balloon is extendedwith the major portion of the deflated balloon in a substantiallystraight line and floating along the wake, so that the extension of theballoon onto the sea is accomplished without substantial movement of thefloating portion of the balloon relative to the sea.

10. In a method of launching at sea in a wind substantially exceedingabout three knots a water-floatable 5 high altitude inelastic filmballoon, the steps of placing on the stern of a sea surface vessel acompacted deflated water-floatable balloon which is Ieefed except for arelatively short portion thereof sufiicient to provide a lift gasreceptacle capable of containing only enough lift gas to erect theballoon without substantially straining the receptable film;

tethering the base of the balloon to the stern of the vessel;

propelling the vessel forward on a steady course downwind at a speed ofabout three knots;

paying out at substantially the vessels speed into the vessels wakesuccessively the unreefed and reefed portions of the deflated balloonuntil the entire deflated balloon is extended from its tether and theentire deflated balloon except for its base and a short adjacent reefedpart of the balloon is in a line parallel to the vessels course andfloats in the wake;

inflating the unreefed portion with sufiicient lift gas to raisesubstantially only the unreefed portion out of the sea;

on rise of the unreefed portion out of the sea, accelerating the vesseldownwind rapidly substantially to wind speed;

maintaining the vessel downwind substantially at wind speed;

while the vessel is moving substantially at wind speed,

inflating the unreefed portion so that it progressively rises andsupports out of the sea and substantially vertically progressivelylonger sections of the reefed portion of the balloon, until the unreefedportion is fully inflated and the entire balloon is erect;

at erection of the entire balloon, progressively unreefing the upperportions of the balloon;

continuing inflation of the upper part of the balloon as the unreefingmakes available more unreefed balloon film to accommodate the additionallift gas;

StOpping the inflation when the quantity of gas in the balloon issuflicient to launch the completely unreefed balloon with a load andlift the loaded balloon at a predetermined climb rate to a predeterminedceiling altitude;

attaching the load to the ballon;

and untethering the balloon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A METHOD OF LAUNCHING AT SEA A WATER-FLOATABLE HIGH ALTITUDEINELASTIC FILM BALLOON, THE STEPS OF (A) TETHERING THE BASE OF ADEFLATED BALLOON ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE SEA; (B) FULLY EXTENDINGTHE BALLOON WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE BALLOON FLOATING IN THE SEA;(C) INFLATING THE TOP PORTION OF THE BALLOON WITH LIFT GAS SUFFICIENT TOERECT THE ENTIRE BALLOON AND CARRY IT ALOFT; AND (D) UNTETHERING THEBALLOON.